Disney by Sea and Land - Day 12

Day 12 - January 28

Today is the day we go to the Magic Kingdom. Traditionally Monday has been the least crowded day there, so we are hoping that holds true today. After breakfast we meet Iris and make our way to the Magic Kingdom.

As we enter a relatively uncrowded town square, we find the Dapper Dans about to perform.

Our goal today was to have lunch at the new Be Our Guest restaurant in the New Fantasyland. We would have liked to have dinner there - still do - but due to the popularity of a newly opened restaurant, no reservations have become available, so lunch is the next best thing. While Be Our Guest is a sit down restaurant during dinner service, for lunch it is quick service. The line to get in appears to be about a half hour (so we have been told) and we decide to wait on it. 

In a little less time than expected, as the line moves quickly - we find ourself within the castle and making our way down the corridor with suits of armor. Enchanted, of course ... just listen.

Soon we are selecting our meals from a self-service kiosk ... or at least we attempt to as the touch screen is a bit unresponsive. We give our order to a Cast Member and then we find a table in one of the three dining rooms here and place our rose on the table so the server can find us.

When we were here last time, in October, New Fantasyland was having a soft opening, and we got to experience the Little Mermaid attraction and have Le Feu's brews at Gaston's Tavern. Be Our Guest was not open that day, and we bypassed Enchanted Tales with Belle. Today, however, we would like to see what that attraction is all about, but as we pass Belle's father's cottage we find the line is listed at 70 minutes, and decide that we will try again tonight.

Instead we head over to the Storybook Circus section of New Fantasyland where my wife wants to spend some time in the souvenir tent. While she and my daughter do that, I watch a performance of the Giggle Gang.

When they return, my wife wants to get fastpasses for the Barnstormer. I decide to pass, but once they have their fastpasses, we decide to take a round-trip around the Magic Kingdom aboard the train. When we return it is almost time for them to ride the Barnstormer.

When they are done we head over to the Haunted Mansion. When in Liberty Square, we are able to see Rapunzel's tower which is taking shape from the old skyway station. In the early days of the Magic Kingdom, great care was taken not to allow out of character structures to be seen in the park. The theater in Town Square was built at full scale for the sole purpose of hiding the Contemporary Hotel from turn of the 20th Century Main Street. Yet here we have a medieval castle tower in a New England setting. Bad show!

After the Haunted Mansion, my wife is regretting her choice of footware for today, and informs my daughter and me that she is calling it a day and will meet us on the porch of the theater in town square where she intends to spend the next 3 hours rocking in a rocking chair. My daughter and I decide to head towards Adventureland where we first get fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise and then visit the Enchanted Tiki Room.

There is still time before we need to return to the Jungle Cruise, so a cruise of a different type is in order.

We wants the redhead! We wants the redhead! 

As night approaches, my daughter and I decide to get a Le Feu's brew at Gaston's Tavern. It's a beautiful night so we get our drinks and sit at one of the tables outside of the tavern. Before long Gaston stops by and spends some time visiting with us - and informing us just how good it is to be him.

It's not too long before Wishes, and once again I had planned on photographing the fireworks, but as we pass Belle's cottage, we notice that the wait is now listed at only 20 minutes, so we decide that we would forego the fireworks tonight and experience Enchanted Tales with Belle.

It turned out to be worth it, as we enjoyed ourself thoroughly while our fellow guests took part in re-enacting the night that Belle and the Beast fell in love.

As we leave the cottage, Wishes is just beginning so we sit down right there and watch from this very unusual vantage point. The fireworks are both in front and behind us and seem even more impressive from here.

We then meet my wife where she has been relaxing for the past 3 hours, and head out into the now crowded ferry terminal (the monorail is even more crowded) to make our way back to the car.

Tomorrow we visit EPCOT.